#10. Epiphany!

After several weeks of frustrating knitting, I finally realized something.  I don't have to work on something that I am not enjoying knitting.  I don't have to struggle through each stitch wishing it was finished so I could move on to something else.  I don't have to knit round after round; all the time worrying if the intended recipient is even going to like or appreciate it.

I do have quite a number of projects that I am working on.  Some of them I am making just because I fell in love with the pattern or the yarn.  Some of them are from various classes that I have taken and haven't finished the project yet.  Some of them are for me, but a number of them are intended as gifts.  I have to admit that some of those gifts don't even have intended recipients yet.  I just think they would make a nice gift.  Someday.

Because of my epiphany - I am putting away the pink tank top that I have started at least 4 times.  I am going to work on some of the other projects I have on the needles.  Or maybe I will start another project.  I am going to knit something that is more enjoyable.

It's all up to me.  And it is okay.

#9. One Of Many...

I will admit it.  I definitely have Knitting A.D.D.  I get really bored working on the same project for more than an hour or so.  For that reason, I have multiple projects going all the time.  I work on one for a while and then tuck it back into one of my knitting totes and work on another.  The end result is that I hardly ever have an end result.  Nothing ever gets finished.


One of the projects currently on my needles is the Easy Lace Cowl found in the Fall 2010 Accessorize with Style Magazine published by Creative Knitting.

It really is an easy knit - with just a 2 row repeat after the ribbed start.  Lots of YO's and that has always been a problem for me.  (For any non-knitters who are reading - a YO is a yarn over.  That is when you wrap the yarn around the needle before knitting or purling the next stitch.)  Because it is not something I do a lot when knitting, I tend to get on a roll and forget to do them. 

I picked a really pretty denim blue yarn because I think I might be making this for myself.  Since I only wear jeans, it will match everything I own.  The yarn I am using is Swedish - Tropik by Jarbo Garn.  

It is 50% Bamboo, 25% Cotton, 25% Acrylic and really soft.  Kind of splitty - but not so bad that I am hating it.  This picture really doesn't do it justice.  It is a nice rich blue.

At my current rate of knitting, this will not be finished for wearing this winter.  Fortunately, winter will come around again.  

#8. Erica's Sweater

I would be remiss if I didn't add a project that I finished at the end of 2009.  A striped sweater for my then 4 year old granddaughter - a gift for Christmas.

A special knitting project - not just because it was for Erica, but also because it was the first ever "garment" that I had ever knitted.  I know that scarves and socks can be classified as garments per se, but I prefer to think of them as "accessories".  A scarf is more of a one size fits all deal and are ARE supposed to be more fitting.  A sweater is just different.

As soon as I saw the picture in Fons & Porter’s Love of Knitting, Spring 2009 - I quickly scanned the pattern instructions to make sure it didn't contain a lot of knitting terminology that was scary to me.  That would include things like k tbl, MB, p1 f&b. 

I was happily surprised to find what looked to be pretty easy instructions.  Convinced I could handle this - with the aid of my wonderfully patient teacher - I decided it was a go.

I showed the pattern to Marie the next Saturday and she was very enthusiastic - agreeing that this was quite within my meager capabilities. 

(I must add - since that first little disagreement about when I would be ready for sock knitting classes - Marie has said I was ready for anything.  Patient AND an optimist. Or a really good liar?  What more could you ask for in a knitting instructor?)

I immediately began scanning the shelves of yarn for the perfect colors of budget friendly possibilities.  One must also consider the washability of yarns used for garments.  100% wool is nice and warm - but throw it in the washing machine and you get a much smaller version of the sweater - and felted at that.  With the help of my fellow classmates, I decided on the yarn.

Marie's older sister - a 90+ year old avid knitter herself - made the final determination on color sequence and I soon had my bulging bag of yarn and was ready to cast on.

I was surprised at how quickly and easily the sweater knitted up.  Each color stripe was only 4 rows, so I didn't get bored knitting up so much stockinette stitch.  It was fun watching all the colors come together to form the stripes.

I told everyone I was making the sweater (knitting form of “commitment”) so I had to stick with it and finish it.  I didn't make the Christmas deadline as I was still seaming the pieces together.  That was after weaving in 5,267 loose ends.  I might be a few short on that count, but you get the idea.  Holy smokes!  Stripes mean lots of loose ends.

Since I had no previous experience with knitting something that needed to actually fit, and I didn’t have the benefit of being able to try it on her as I was making it - I was a bit anxious to see if it would even go over her head.  The sweater was complete a few days after Christmas.  

I called Erica over to try the sweater on and was mildly heartbroken when she wanted nothing to do with it.  After some coaxing and bribery from Mommy and Daddy, she finally allowed the sweater to be put on her.  I was thrilled that it fit!  It was actually a darn good fit too.  Certainly room to wear it over another shirt and to get another season of cold weather use if she wished.

All together, I was very pleased with my first finished "garment" and look forward to making many more sweaters.  I would even make that same pattern again - perhaps in a nice solid color!

Specifics:

Pattern was printed in Fons & Porter’s Love of Knitting, Spring 2009.

Yarn:  Utopia by Reynolds

Pink #294

Teal #133

Orange #162

Yellow #151

Purple #277

Needles:  Size 8 Circulars – Addi Turbo

Recap:

Best part of the project was the fact the sweater was a good fit when finished.  I know it is probably much easier to knit for a child and get a good fit than to do so for an adult.  Especially when sizes are basically estimations and I don’t do that whole “swatch” thing.  Yet.

Worst part of the project was definitely seaming the pieces.  I need a lot more practice with making seams look less “home-made”.  I have lots of garment projects planned for my needles, so I am sure that practice will come with time.